Some personal news: I’ll be expanding my finance coverage to the Hill! So excited to be returning to cover finance, tech and more!
Reach out to me at hcampbell@thecapitolforum.com with tips or suggestions!
Sen. Cantwell on media pooling aspect of the NCAA bill:
“I think freeing schools and these non-revenue sports to be able to go pursue their own media rights is also a valuable part of the section of this bill.”
PAC-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould is the first witness to specifically mention media pooling aspect of the bill:
“All of the challenges cannot be fixed in a single bill…Yet we must act immediately on the most pressing needs that are in front of us.”
President of WVU Gordon Gee says college sports will lost $5 billion this year and calls current system “unsustainable”:
“College football already has twice the viewership than the NBA, but half the media revenue.”
Saban says issue needs to be “nonpartisan: “I also think that a Congress does not need to micromanage college athletics…Congress does need to fix the mess in the courts to create a national framework, so people inside college sports can enforce fair rule without legal certainty.
Nick Saban opens his testimony calling the bill “a great first step” for NCAA regulation.
“NCAA cannot enforce their own rules, because every time they try to enforce a rule, there’s a lawsuit.”
Commerce Ranking Member Maria Cantwell emphasizes the athlete protections in the Protect College Sports Act:
“These rights have teeth. If they are violated, the athletes can have their day in court.”
Cantwell also said the bill provides institutions another way to raise money for research and development purposes:
“We cannot lose the innovation race with China because we are cutting university R&D and putting it to sports instead.”
The Senate Commerce Committee’s hearing on NCAA antitrust bill is now underway.
Chair Ted Cruz opens the hearing calling the foundation of college athletics “crap.”
“It was not my intention to try to insert Congress into College Sports.”
Cruz on voluntary media pooling option in the NCAA bill: “I want to make clear this provision is entirely optional…This option exists so that schools can make TV money work for college sports by helping to generate revenue”
News: Sen. Cruz and Cantwell will soon release the Protect College Sports Act.
The bill includes a voluntary pulled media rights option if 75% of FBS schools elect to participate.
BREAKING: NCAA antitrust exemption bill could be introduced today, according to Senate sources.
The bill will provide colleges and universities with an antitrust exemption so they can pool media rights to obtain greater broadcasting revenues.
Senator Thom Tillis spoke after the committee voted to approve Warsh’s nomination:
“I get that Senator Warren wants to score some political points, but she is flatly wrong on every point she just tried to make.”
The Senate Banking Committee will soon vote on Fed nominee Kevin Warsh. Senator Elizabeth Warren said “we should not be voting today” on the nomination.
Warren also said Trump will continue to threaten the Fed’s independence despite the DOJ dropping the probe against Powell.
NEWS: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent would not commit that Fed nominee Kevin Warsh would not be sued if he does not lower interest rates.
“That’s up to the President,” Bessent said.